Misiuk is the current president of the USM College Republicans, having revived the formerly defunct group last year to represent the conservative presence on campus during election season. “Hopefully I will be stepping down soon to take up the position of student body president,” he said. He did, however, say that he would like to remain active in the group as an advisor should he win the upcoming student elections.

The group, he said, has been very successful in gaining student interest. “Just from last semester to this semester, our membership has tripled.” To this end, Misiuk has expressed interest in bringing more conservative speakers to campus. “We’re looking into bringing in speakers like Ann Coulter along with a few other conservative speakers because there have been other socialism speakers on campus, and we need to get our presence out.”

As far as his goals as student body president are concerned, Misiuk told The Free Press that he has already been working with the current student body president, Adam Higgins, to spearhead an initiative to improve upon career development and transition opportunities for students.

Misiuk said that he would meet with the dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, Lynn Kuzma, to discuss the creation of a concentration program in which students in major programs could develop greater specializations. “I’m a political science major,” he said, “and I want to get into public policy. Having a concentration in public policy would be great because then [I] would have a better chance of getting an internship in that, sticking with that internship, and then getting a job offer from that internship.”

In regards to his campaign, Misiuk told The Free Press that he has hit the ground running. “I’ve been meeting with individuals and figuring out what their concerns are, and it’s everything from community outreach within Portland and Gorham… to working on the transfer of study abroad credits.”

He explained that one of the the biggest issues that residential students have brought to him has to do with restroom cleanliness and upkeep. “The stalls tend to be disgusting and the shower heads are beginning to corrode. I’ve found a student, I don’t know which residential hall she lives in, but whatever hall it is, this student has no way of drying her hands in the bathroom. I find that atrocious. Prisoners even get to wipe their hands on something. Yet, the school wonders why the dorms are only at 60 percent capacity.”

When asked how his views differ from those of his opponent, Misiuk said that he hadn’t heard her address career development at all. “We both have great visions,” he said, referring to Dunham. “Putting USM students and the possibility of finding careers first is going to be hugely beneficial.”